Chapter Nine: Let Me Go

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did, it would probably be called Gaara X3

It is Currently 2:17 AM on Monday, November 24, 2008

I finished Chapter eight and if you check the times, I started this one three minutes later. I don't think I'm gonna be sleeping tonight. And yeah, I have school in the morning but I'm not going, we had to go back home to Ohio for my little brothers pacemaker fixing surgery in Michigan, and since my current school is in New York, not New York New York, just somewhere in the state New York, and five and a half hours away from where I am right now so I'm not going.

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Recap…

"Hotaru…?" An all too familiar voice asked.

Realization hit Hotaru like a ton of bricks to the stomach and she slowly opened her eyes afraid that if she moved to quickly that the illusion she hoped and dreaded was real, would break, afraid that she'd break with it.

Chapter Nine…

Hotaru stared at him for what seemed like eternity, she wanted to talk to him but she couldn't move.

"Hotaru?" he repeated demandingly and took a step closer to her. Hotaru blinked and rubbed her eyes before looking back at him.

"G-Gaara-kun…" Hotaru breathed moving towards him.

"Hotaru-san!" An unfamiliar boys voice yelled. Hotaru turned and saw Kisame in his transformation still, he was pointing at her wrapped protectively in Gaara's sand. He looked pretty pissed.

"Kazuhiko! Just let me talk to him!" Hotaru yelled gaining the attention of the few ninja still milling about in the hallway. Deidara and Itachi rounded the corner and skidded to halt where Kisame was standing and still pointing at Hotaru.

"Please! Onee-sama, Sensei!" Hotaru begged, tears already starting, "Let me talk to him."

Gaara saw Itachi disguised as Hotaru and both of their eyes narrowed simultaneously. Hotaru heard Gaara let out an angered growl and she noticed Temari and Kankurou backing away slowly.

"Go on Kankurou-san, Temari-san," Hotaru said worriedly, "I don't want either of you to get hurt if things get bad, you may not act like it but you're the only real family that Gaara-kun has."

Gaara looked at Hotaru with shock and surprise written all over his face as his siblings ran, he'd almost forgotten what it was like to have someone care about him and his entire well being. The other ninjas in the hallway were exchanging glances, debating on whether or not to intervene or follow Temari and Kankurou's example. Hotaru quickly thought of a lie.

"Mind your business the rest of you," Hotaru called glancing at as many of the other ninjas as she could, "just a case of an ex-boyfriend and way over protective teammates." Hotaru glared at her "over protective teammates." She felt the sand tense around her arms at 'Ex-boyfriend.'

"Let's take this else where?" Hotaru suggested looking between Gaara and her attendants. They all nodded, "just me and Gaara-kun though, we need to talk about this. Like I said before I won't runaway, we won't even leave the village, I already explained everything to you guys."

The Akatsuki exchanged glances and silent communications before giving them a hesitant ok. Hotaru nodded at them and Gaara's sand wrapped around more of her body and before she knew it, they were in an old secluded park in Konoha.

"Gaa-" before Hotaru could even finish saying his name Gaara had leaned down and captured her lips in a desperate kiss. Hotaru was taken by surprise and pulled back. Instantly she regretted it.

"Hotaru?" Gaara asked, hurt lacing his rough voice. Hotaru felt her heart ache at the foreign tone in his voice.

"I-I missed y-you!" Hotaru cried hugging him around the waist and burying her face in his chest, "You st-startled me when y-you k-kissed me, I-I'm so-sorry."

Gaara snapped out of his momentary confusion and leaned in closer to her face and lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye, "I missed you too." he whispered before placing a tender kiss on Hotaru's lips. Hotaru kissed him back and moved her arms from around his waist to around his neck. Gaara moved his hand from her chin to her cheek and wrapped his other arm around her waist protectively. Hotaru felt Gaara nip at her bottom lip and complied to his silent wish, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth and seek out her own. Hotaru didn't try to dominate the kiss this time, she wanted Gaara to, she missed him so much. When they parted both of their faces were flushed from the lack of oxygen and they were both lightly panting.

"Hotaru," Gaara whispered in her ear, "they followed us."

Hotaru's body went rigid and she blushed deep crimson from both embarrassment and anger.

"Th-Then we'll have to talk quietly, k-keep holding me." Hotaru whispered back wrapping her arms more securely around Gaara's neck, effectively pulling him closer.

"With pleasure." Gaara whispered holding her tighter and making Hotaru's blush come back even worse than before.

"Gaara, first of all I want to let you know that I love you, please don't ever forget that," Hotaru felt Gaara's grip on her tighten, "and that's why I can't stay, I c-can't go back home with you."

Gaara could feel his shirt getting wet with her tears and growled, no one made his Hotaru cry and got away unscathed.

"Gaara, we're not -hic- strong enough!" Hotaru sobbed quietly into his shoulder, hiccupping every once in a while, "You ha-have to understand that -hic- I have to go back w-with them -hic-"

"No!" Gaara almost yelled holding on to her so tight that it almost hurt making Hotaru flinch and hold him tighter.

"I have to, G-Gaara, if I -hic- don't they c-could k-kill -hic- you!" Hotaru cried trying to reason with him, "p-please, -hic- I c-couldn't stand it if I l-lost -hic- you!"

"Then let me go with you." Gaara whispered trying to stay calm. Hotaru shook her head violently.

"Then who'll save u-us?" Hotaru asked giving him a watery smile. Gaara couldn't stand to see her so upset, it tore him apart inside and he knew there wasn't anything he could do right now.

"I-I won't –hic- b-blame you if y-you –hic- h-hate me." Hotaru murmured and Gaara couldn't take it. He pushed her away and grabbed her shoulders looking her straight in the eye.

"I will never hate you." Gaara said lowly and firmly, "I could never hate you." He raised one hand to her face and wiped her tears away gently only to have them replaced by a new wave of tears.

"Don't cry tenshi." Gaara whispered before chastely kissing Hotaru and wiping away more of her tears.

"I am loyal only to you, Sabaku no Gaara." Hotaru pledged, her tears letting up significantly, "So take your time getting stronger, I'll wait forever and a day for you."

"Let's go sit down, you're exhausted." Gaara ordered grabbing Hotaru's hand and leading her over to a distant tree. Hotaru smiled, she could tell he was blushing and she'd seen a smile ghost across his normally stoic face. Gaara sat down leaning against the trunk of the tree and pulled Hotaru down to sit in his lap.

"Gaara, I have to tell you something…" Hotaru said guiltily.

"Then tell me." Gaara said quirking an invisible eyebrow.

"Well… I actually have to show you…" Hotaru was nervous, like a child about to tell their mother that they'd broken her favorite vase. She hesitantly pulled off her trench coat sleeves. Gaara's eyes went wide with shock.

"Hotaru…" Gaara growled out of habit reaching out and touching the new scar on her shoulder opposite the one that read truth. Hotaru pulled away.

"I'm sorry Gaara I was upset and I-I'm not getting rid of it." Hotaru squeaked out the last part, terrified that she'd done something she knew Gaara wouldn't like and was speaking forcefully towards him about it.

"Hotaru…" Gaara said softer this time and reached for her again, tracing the black scar that matched the kanji on his own forehead, "It hurt you… right?"

Hotaru nodded. Gaara frowned and leaned forward, placing butterfly kisses all along the fresh black scar. Hotaru blushed deeply, turning about three different shades of red before settling on one. When Gaara pulled back Hotaru quickly pulled her trench coat on all the way in embarrassment before sitting in Gaara's lap again.

"Gaara?" Hotaru asked making the red head look down at her. Hotaru softly kissed the kanji on his forehead, effectively returning the favor. Gaara smiled fondly at her and kissed her on the lips.

"I don't want to let you go." Gaara whispered, his breath tickling Hotaru's lips.

"I don't want to leave Gaara, but I have to because I love you." Hotaru whispered before connecting their lips once again. They made the kiss last before separating again. When Hotaru opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that her and Gaara were no longer alone in front of the tree, the second thing she noticed was that it was her "escorts." Gaara growled at them and held Hotaru tightly to him.

"So much for privacy, eh nee-chan?" Hotaru asked angrily, she tightened her grip on the fabric of Gaara's shirt and the green of her eyes began leaking into the brown for the second time that day.

"Hotaru-san, I think it's time you came with us," Diedara's disguise said glancing between Hotaru and Gaara's faces every few seconds, "before this gets dangerous."

Gaara tightened his grip on Hotaru, and she turned back to him, "If you love me," She said swallowing her sadness for the moment and managing a sad, weak smile and kissed him lightly, "Gaara-kun… Let me go."

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Sorry for such a short chapter but the next chapter will have the forest of death in it and if any one caught it, Chapter 3, right before Hotaru tells Gaara she loves him for the first time. I used it for the ending line in this chapter. I thought it'd be nice if she let him know that she still remembered that day like it just happened. Please review or flame.

Monday, November 24, 2008,